Hello, November 27, 2014
Happy Thanksgiving!
I am thankful for all of the wonderful fourth graders this year. They are all creative, hard-working, and very kind students. I enjoy going to work each day. Thank you all for all you do.
Reading logs are due on Monday, December 1. Write it on paper if you didn't get one. Read at least 100 minutes.
Happy Reading and enjoy time with family and friends!
Sincerely,
Pam Bartholomew
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Newsletter
Hi, November 15, 2014
Reflections Gallery Night
Congratulations to all the students who entered the Reflections Program! We had lots of creative responses to the theme: The World would be a Better Place if… We also had many students from our class receive medals and their work will move onto the next level. Congratulations to Madi for her photography work and Erin, Joshua, and Parker for their poetry. Great job!
Food Drive for the Round Rock Serving Center
We are collecting food to fill the pantry at the Serving Center. Canned food and non-perishable items can be placed in the barrels by the office. Donate food by Thursday, Nov. 20. Thank you for your help.
OMS Toy Drive
We passed our goal of 150 toys! As of Friday, our school donated 175 new toys to bring awareness to OMS or Opsocionus Myoclonus Syndrome. The toys will be delivered to patients at Dell Children’s Hospital over Thanksgiving break. Thank you so much for your donations!
Thanksgiving Day Meal
On Thursday, Nov. 20, FCE will celebrate Thanksgiving during lunch. Families are invited to join your child for lunch. Our lunchtime is at 11:00-11:30. If you are planning on coming for lunch, go to https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1QajBlS4z4RcltejLzkAoT7RkHuRWCBwVHUILGR540s8/viewform to RSVP. The office will have a badge printed for you.
Totally O-Rama
We will be celebrating the 1980’s on Friday! Your child is encouraged to dress in 80’s style and be ready to sing and dance. Our performance for 4th grade will be at 12:00 in the cafeteria. It will be totally awesome!!!!!
Thanksgiving Break
RRISD will be closed from Monday, Nov. 24-28 for Thanksgiving Break. Enjoy time with family and friends.
Thanksgiving Break Reading Challenge
Your child will have a reading log to complete over the November Break. At least 20 minutes should be read each day or at least 100 minutes. I encourage your children to challenge themselves and read as much as possible. Everyone is expected to read at least 100 minutes and a homework grade will be earned. All children who read at least 100 minutes will get to choose a prize. The children with the highest totals of reading time will have first choice of the prizes! Don’t forget that reading using I-Station counts as reading time. Read as a family and enjoy time with books together!
Reading
This week we read and discussed poetry. We learned about different types of poems and practiced finding the theme or message in the poem as well as elements of poetry such as stanzas, line breaks, metaphors, similes, adjectives, sensory words, etc… We will continue to examine and make inferences about poetry and will start comparing and contrasting nonfiction and fiction books with the same topic.
Writing
We enjoyed learning about poetry in reading then using that knowledge and our creativity to write poems. We each wrote and published a poem about weather as well as other poems of our choice. The poems will be displayed in the hallway. We will work on improving our writing of personal narratives next and will publish another personal narrative the week after the November break.
Spelling and Vocabulary-This week we will be spelling words with silent b and silent w. (example-thumb and wrist). In vocabulary, we will learn about types of questions and words with the roots-auto and port)
Social Studies
We researched the Caddo and Karankawa tribes. We also reviewed characteristics of all the Texas Regions. We talked about the resources that these tribes used in the Coastal Plains Region where they lived. We will continue studying tribes of Texas this week. We will also revise and edit our Texas Regions projects and will present them to the other homeroom on Friday morning.
Dates to Remember
Monday, November 17-Reading Logs due, Tutorials from 2:45-3:45
Tuesday, November 18-Tutorials from 2:45-3:45, Bring in food for the food drive.
Wednesday, November 19-Summary and Responses due
Thursday, November 20-Thanksgiving Lunch at 11:00, Service Club from 2:45-3:45
Friday, November 21-Summary and Responses due, Spelling test and vocabulary test, Totally O-Rama at 12:00
Monday, November 24-Friday, November 28-No School-Happy Thanksgiving!-Be sure to read at least 100 minutes!
Monday, December 1-Reading Logs due-How many minutes did you read? AT least 100 minutes for a prize!
Have a wonderful weekend! Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Pam
Reflections Gallery Night
Congratulations to all the students who entered the Reflections Program! We had lots of creative responses to the theme: The World would be a Better Place if… We also had many students from our class receive medals and their work will move onto the next level. Congratulations to Madi for her photography work and Erin, Joshua, and Parker for their poetry. Great job!
Food Drive for the Round Rock Serving Center
We are collecting food to fill the pantry at the Serving Center. Canned food and non-perishable items can be placed in the barrels by the office. Donate food by Thursday, Nov. 20. Thank you for your help.
OMS Toy Drive
We passed our goal of 150 toys! As of Friday, our school donated 175 new toys to bring awareness to OMS or Opsocionus Myoclonus Syndrome. The toys will be delivered to patients at Dell Children’s Hospital over Thanksgiving break. Thank you so much for your donations!
Thanksgiving Day Meal
On Thursday, Nov. 20, FCE will celebrate Thanksgiving during lunch. Families are invited to join your child for lunch. Our lunchtime is at 11:00-11:30. If you are planning on coming for lunch, go to https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1QajBlS4z4RcltejLzkAoT7RkHuRWCBwVHUILGR540s8/viewform to RSVP. The office will have a badge printed for you.
Totally O-Rama
We will be celebrating the 1980’s on Friday! Your child is encouraged to dress in 80’s style and be ready to sing and dance. Our performance for 4th grade will be at 12:00 in the cafeteria. It will be totally awesome!!!!!
Thanksgiving Break
RRISD will be closed from Monday, Nov. 24-28 for Thanksgiving Break. Enjoy time with family and friends.
Thanksgiving Break Reading Challenge
Your child will have a reading log to complete over the November Break. At least 20 minutes should be read each day or at least 100 minutes. I encourage your children to challenge themselves and read as much as possible. Everyone is expected to read at least 100 minutes and a homework grade will be earned. All children who read at least 100 minutes will get to choose a prize. The children with the highest totals of reading time will have first choice of the prizes! Don’t forget that reading using I-Station counts as reading time. Read as a family and enjoy time with books together!
Reading
This week we read and discussed poetry. We learned about different types of poems and practiced finding the theme or message in the poem as well as elements of poetry such as stanzas, line breaks, metaphors, similes, adjectives, sensory words, etc… We will continue to examine and make inferences about poetry and will start comparing and contrasting nonfiction and fiction books with the same topic.
Writing
We enjoyed learning about poetry in reading then using that knowledge and our creativity to write poems. We each wrote and published a poem about weather as well as other poems of our choice. The poems will be displayed in the hallway. We will work on improving our writing of personal narratives next and will publish another personal narrative the week after the November break.
Spelling and Vocabulary-This week we will be spelling words with silent b and silent w. (example-thumb and wrist). In vocabulary, we will learn about types of questions and words with the roots-auto and port)
Social Studies
We researched the Caddo and Karankawa tribes. We also reviewed characteristics of all the Texas Regions. We talked about the resources that these tribes used in the Coastal Plains Region where they lived. We will continue studying tribes of Texas this week. We will also revise and edit our Texas Regions projects and will present them to the other homeroom on Friday morning.
Dates to Remember
Monday, November 17-Reading Logs due, Tutorials from 2:45-3:45
Tuesday, November 18-Tutorials from 2:45-3:45, Bring in food for the food drive.
Wednesday, November 19-Summary and Responses due
Thursday, November 20-Thanksgiving Lunch at 11:00, Service Club from 2:45-3:45
Friday, November 21-Summary and Responses due, Spelling test and vocabulary test, Totally O-Rama at 12:00
Monday, November 24-Friday, November 28-No School-Happy Thanksgiving!-Be sure to read at least 100 minutes!
Monday, December 1-Reading Logs due-How many minutes did you read? AT least 100 minutes for a prize!
Have a wonderful weekend! Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Pam
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Newsletter
Hi, Nov. 8, 2014
We had a great week! Congratulations to Lily P. and Celine for coming in 1st and 2nd place in the Healthy Plate Poster Contest!
Texas Regions Projects
We began presenting our Texas Regions Projects! We presented to our homeroom and the children wrote two compliments and a suggestion or question for each group. I compiled all the information and each group will have an opportunity to revise and make adjustments to their presentation and/or project based on the feedback. We will present to the other homeroom class later this week.
Atomic Learning
Round Rock ISD has purchased Atomic Learning for student, parent, and staff use. This learning tool contains a wealth of information on how to use software and hardware that benefits users. The use does not have to be related to school or children’s programs. For example, Atomic Learning has tutorials on Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc), Outlook, Blackboard Learning, Dropbox, Evernote, Facebook, GarageBand, Gmail, Chrome, iMovie, Internet Explorer, iPad, iPod, iTunes, Photoshop, Prezi, Safari, Skype, Windows, and Media Player to name a few. If you’re looking for a tutorial on how to do something on the computer, this is the place! Take advantage of this free resource!
URL: http://www.atomiclearning.com/login/roundrockisd
Username: roundrockparent
Password: learning
Veteran’s Day
Forest Creek will celebrate and honor Veterans this Tuesday. All Veterans are invited to come to school for breakfast then we will have two assemblies (one for K-2 at 8:15 and 3-5 at 9:00). The assemblies will include songs from our choir.
I-Station Reading online-Your child brought home a paper on Tuesday with information about downloading I-Station to work on reading at home. This is a wonderful program that adjusts to match your child’s reading level and works on many aspects in reading and writing. I am encouraging all students to work on I-Station for at least 20 minutes a week. This can be recorded in your child’s reading log and count for one day’s at-home reading homework. I can log into I-Station and check your child’s progress and the amount of time spent on the program. Thank you for working on I-Station at home and let me know if you have difficulty logging on or downloading.
TAG Information Night
There will be a TAG (Talented and Gifted) Information Night on Tuesday from 6:30-7:15. Come and learn about the TAG program and the procedures to request testing.
Reflections Gallery Night
Thursday evening will be the Reflections Gallery Night from 5-6:30. Come and see the projects!
PTA Family Fun Night at Austin Pizza on Thursday, November 13 from 5-8pm.
Reading
This week in reading we are reading and learning about poetry. We are comparing types of poems and elements of poetry such as stanzas, rhyme, meter, line breaks, similes, metaphors, etc… We are also writing responses to poetry and discussing the mood and feelings in poems.
Writing
We took a writing Curriculum Based Assessment this week. Overall, the students did very well on the multiple choice section. The fourth grade team will grade the compositions later this month. We are writing charts of sensory words and phrases for poems. We are experimenting with different types of poems. We are also examining our narratives and experimenting with revising them into poems. We will revise, edit, and publish at least one poem by the end of the week.
Social Studies
Revisions of our projects will take place this week. We will also begin learning about Native Americans in Texas. We will research tribes and the way they used the resources of their region to survive.
Dates to Remember
Monday, November 10, 2014-Reading logs due, tutorials from 2:45-3:45
Tuesday, November 11, 2014-Veteran’s Day Assembly, tutorials from 2:45-3:45, TAG information night at 6:00 pm
Wednesday, November 12, 2014-Reading Summary and Response Due
Thursday, November 13, 2014-Writing Club in library from 2:45-3:45, Reflections Gallery Night from 5-6:30, PTA Family Fun Night at Austin Pizza from 5-8 pm
Friday, November 14, 2014-Reading Summary and Response Due, Spelling and Vocabulary Test
Thursday, November 20, 2014-Thanksgiving Meal during lunch at 11:00
Friday, November 21, 2014- Totally O-Rama at 12:00 for 4th grade
Have a great rest of the weekend and let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Pam
We had a great week! Congratulations to Lily P. and Celine for coming in 1st and 2nd place in the Healthy Plate Poster Contest!
Texas Regions Projects
We began presenting our Texas Regions Projects! We presented to our homeroom and the children wrote two compliments and a suggestion or question for each group. I compiled all the information and each group will have an opportunity to revise and make adjustments to their presentation and/or project based on the feedback. We will present to the other homeroom class later this week.
Atomic Learning
Round Rock ISD has purchased Atomic Learning for student, parent, and staff use. This learning tool contains a wealth of information on how to use software and hardware that benefits users. The use does not have to be related to school or children’s programs. For example, Atomic Learning has tutorials on Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc), Outlook, Blackboard Learning, Dropbox, Evernote, Facebook, GarageBand, Gmail, Chrome, iMovie, Internet Explorer, iPad, iPod, iTunes, Photoshop, Prezi, Safari, Skype, Windows, and Media Player to name a few. If you’re looking for a tutorial on how to do something on the computer, this is the place! Take advantage of this free resource!
URL: http://www.atomiclearning.com/login/roundrockisd
Username: roundrockparent
Password: learning
Veteran’s Day
Forest Creek will celebrate and honor Veterans this Tuesday. All Veterans are invited to come to school for breakfast then we will have two assemblies (one for K-2 at 8:15 and 3-5 at 9:00). The assemblies will include songs from our choir.
I-Station Reading online-Your child brought home a paper on Tuesday with information about downloading I-Station to work on reading at home. This is a wonderful program that adjusts to match your child’s reading level and works on many aspects in reading and writing. I am encouraging all students to work on I-Station for at least 20 minutes a week. This can be recorded in your child’s reading log and count for one day’s at-home reading homework. I can log into I-Station and check your child’s progress and the amount of time spent on the program. Thank you for working on I-Station at home and let me know if you have difficulty logging on or downloading.
TAG Information Night
There will be a TAG (Talented and Gifted) Information Night on Tuesday from 6:30-7:15. Come and learn about the TAG program and the procedures to request testing.
Reflections Gallery Night
Thursday evening will be the Reflections Gallery Night from 5-6:30. Come and see the projects!
PTA Family Fun Night at Austin Pizza on Thursday, November 13 from 5-8pm.
Reading
This week in reading we are reading and learning about poetry. We are comparing types of poems and elements of poetry such as stanzas, rhyme, meter, line breaks, similes, metaphors, etc… We are also writing responses to poetry and discussing the mood and feelings in poems.
Writing
We took a writing Curriculum Based Assessment this week. Overall, the students did very well on the multiple choice section. The fourth grade team will grade the compositions later this month. We are writing charts of sensory words and phrases for poems. We are experimenting with different types of poems. We are also examining our narratives and experimenting with revising them into poems. We will revise, edit, and publish at least one poem by the end of the week.
Social Studies
Revisions of our projects will take place this week. We will also begin learning about Native Americans in Texas. We will research tribes and the way they used the resources of their region to survive.
Dates to Remember
Monday, November 10, 2014-Reading logs due, tutorials from 2:45-3:45
Tuesday, November 11, 2014-Veteran’s Day Assembly, tutorials from 2:45-3:45, TAG information night at 6:00 pm
Wednesday, November 12, 2014-Reading Summary and Response Due
Thursday, November 13, 2014-Writing Club in library from 2:45-3:45, Reflections Gallery Night from 5-6:30, PTA Family Fun Night at Austin Pizza from 5-8 pm
Friday, November 14, 2014-Reading Summary and Response Due, Spelling and Vocabulary Test
Thursday, November 20, 2014-Thanksgiving Meal during lunch at 11:00
Friday, November 21, 2014- Totally O-Rama at 12:00 for 4th grade
Have a great rest of the weekend and let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Pam
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Newsletter
Hi, November 1, 2014
We had a very busy, but fun week!
Red Ribbon Week
Red Ribbon Week was exciting with visitors each day and fun ways to dress up. Our school had an essay contest for Red Ribbon Week and students from our class won 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place! Congratulations to Celine, Jordan, and Sebastien! Great job!
Pen Pals
Our pen pals came to visit on Tuesday and it was wonderful! The kids shared their personal narratives and their reflections pieces about making the world a better place. They talked to their pen pals about their thoughts on ways to make the world a better place and some of their favorite places. Then they all painted, played with play dough, drew, wrote poems, and played games together. We will see them again in December.
Expository Writing!
We completed our expository writing pieces on Friday! Expository writing explains and gives examples. We wrote lots of entries about things that we noticed around the school and pushed our thinking to make realizations about the observations. We also thought about some of our favorite things, places, people, sports, time of year, etc…. and chose one to write a central idea with supporting details and a strong conclusion. Very nice job, writers!
Reading
We are reading expository writing and worked on some poetry this week as well. Shel Silverstein wrote many poems and books of poetry. We read and examined one of his poems-Enter this Deserted House. We read it, noticed the stanzas and the rhyming pattern, and discussed the meaning for us. Then we watched two videos with different images interpreting this poem. One had beautiful images of nature then some spookier images and the reader changed the pace and intensity in his voice to make it suspenseful. The other video was very spooky and had some images from the old movie Psycho. It was interesting to see how different people can interpret the same words in very different ways. We will be discussing more poetry this week.
Writing
We will also be writing lots of poems in the next few weeks. We will be taking a writing CBA , which will give us some data and information about the progress of our students so far in writing.
Social Studies
We are finishing up our region projects! We will be presenting them to each other this week and will let you know about a time that you will be invited to come and see our projects as well. We will now start learning about Native people in Texas.
Dates to Remember
Monday, Nov. 3-Reading Logs due, Tutorials from 2:45-3:45, Running Club 2:45-3:15pm
Tuesday, Nov. 4-Walk/Bike to School Day, Tutorials from 2:45-3:45, Choir practice 2:50, Sr. Choir Concert-6:30 pm
Wednesday, Nov. 5-Reading summary and response due
Thursday, Nov. 6-Service Club Meeting from 2:45-3:45, Report cards go home
Friday, Nov. 7-Reading summary and response due, Spirit Day-Wear green, purple, or school shirt
Monday, Nov. 10-Reading Logs due, tutorials from 2:45-3:45
Tuesday, Nov. 11-Veteran’s Day Program at 9:00 am for 3-5, Veterans eat breakfast for free, Tutorials from 2:45-3:45, TAG Parent Information Night-6:30-7:15 pm
Wednesday, Nov. 12-Reading summary and response due
Thursday, Nov. 13-Writing Club Meeting from 2:45-3:45, PTA Family Night at Austin Pizza 5:00 pm, Reflections Gallery Night at 5:00 pm
Friday, Nov. 14-Reading summary and response due, Spirit Day-Wear green, purple, or school shirt
Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Have a wonderful weekend. Stay warm!
Sincerely,
Pam Bartholomew
We had a very busy, but fun week!
Red Ribbon Week
Red Ribbon Week was exciting with visitors each day and fun ways to dress up. Our school had an essay contest for Red Ribbon Week and students from our class won 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place! Congratulations to Celine, Jordan, and Sebastien! Great job!
Pen Pals
Our pen pals came to visit on Tuesday and it was wonderful! The kids shared their personal narratives and their reflections pieces about making the world a better place. They talked to their pen pals about their thoughts on ways to make the world a better place and some of their favorite places. Then they all painted, played with play dough, drew, wrote poems, and played games together. We will see them again in December.
Expository Writing!
We completed our expository writing pieces on Friday! Expository writing explains and gives examples. We wrote lots of entries about things that we noticed around the school and pushed our thinking to make realizations about the observations. We also thought about some of our favorite things, places, people, sports, time of year, etc…. and chose one to write a central idea with supporting details and a strong conclusion. Very nice job, writers!
Reading
We are reading expository writing and worked on some poetry this week as well. Shel Silverstein wrote many poems and books of poetry. We read and examined one of his poems-Enter this Deserted House. We read it, noticed the stanzas and the rhyming pattern, and discussed the meaning for us. Then we watched two videos with different images interpreting this poem. One had beautiful images of nature then some spookier images and the reader changed the pace and intensity in his voice to make it suspenseful. The other video was very spooky and had some images from the old movie Psycho. It was interesting to see how different people can interpret the same words in very different ways. We will be discussing more poetry this week.
Writing
We will also be writing lots of poems in the next few weeks. We will be taking a writing CBA , which will give us some data and information about the progress of our students so far in writing.
Social Studies
We are finishing up our region projects! We will be presenting them to each other this week and will let you know about a time that you will be invited to come and see our projects as well. We will now start learning about Native people in Texas.
Dates to Remember
Monday, Nov. 3-Reading Logs due, Tutorials from 2:45-3:45, Running Club 2:45-3:15pm
Tuesday, Nov. 4-Walk/Bike to School Day, Tutorials from 2:45-3:45, Choir practice 2:50, Sr. Choir Concert-6:30 pm
Wednesday, Nov. 5-Reading summary and response due
Thursday, Nov. 6-Service Club Meeting from 2:45-3:45, Report cards go home
Friday, Nov. 7-Reading summary and response due, Spirit Day-Wear green, purple, or school shirt
Monday, Nov. 10-Reading Logs due, tutorials from 2:45-3:45
Tuesday, Nov. 11-Veteran’s Day Program at 9:00 am for 3-5, Veterans eat breakfast for free, Tutorials from 2:45-3:45, TAG Parent Information Night-6:30-7:15 pm
Wednesday, Nov. 12-Reading summary and response due
Thursday, Nov. 13-Writing Club Meeting from 2:45-3:45, PTA Family Night at Austin Pizza 5:00 pm, Reflections Gallery Night at 5:00 pm
Friday, Nov. 14-Reading summary and response due, Spirit Day-Wear green, purple, or school shirt
Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Have a wonderful weekend. Stay warm!
Sincerely,
Pam Bartholomew
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Newsletter
Hi, October 26, 2014
We have a busy week ahead!
This is Red Ribbon Week. The theme is: Be Yourself * Be Healthy * Be Happy * Be DRUG FREE
Monday – “Say Peace Out to Drugs” - wear tie dye
The Cedar Ridge Football Players will sign autographs at lunch – Bring a pen or pencil to lunch.
Tuesday – “Too Cool to do Drugs” – wear sunglasses
The Cedar Ridge Cheerleaders will hand out goodies at each entrance.
Wednesday – “Say Yes to a Healthy Heart and Body” – wear anything and everything RED
The Round Rock Fire Department will present assemblies: K-2
at 8:15 a.m. & 3-5 at 9:00 a.m.
Thursday – “I Picture Myself Without Drugs” – wear your school picture clothes
The Cedar Ridge Cheerleaders will hand out goodies at each entrance.
Friday – “Sock It To Drugs” – wear crazy socks
The Cedar Ridge Football Players will hand out goodies at each entrance.
Wednesday is an Early Release day. Students will be released at 12:45 p.m. We will also have a fire safety assembly during the day.
Kona Ice will be in front of school right after dismissal on Wednesday.
______________________________________________________________
Our next PTA Family Fun Night will be from 5-8 at Austin’s Pizza on Monday night, November 3rd.
Pen Pals will be coming on Tuesday, October 28! We are so excited to see them and will be interviewing them as well as exploring some watercolors, crayons, and play dough. We will create masterpieces together while we share time talking and enjoying each other’s company. We will also share our writing-personal narratives and Reflections writing. You are welcome to come and join us from about 9:15-10:30 in the library.
Reading-We began reading and taking notes on book club books for literacy circles. We are using post-it notes to take notes of our thinking, questions, comments, and/or tricky words. Then we meet with others reading the same book and discuss. These books are being read independently in class, however, if the children aren’t able to complete their assignment for that day, they can read this book for homework and it can count on the at home reading log. They can also use this book for their summary and response homework on Wednesdays and Fridays. We are also continuing our study of expository text and compared stated or explicit headings (An article about Mayans had a stated heading. The section was called Clothes and the section was about the clothing of the ancient and modern Mayan people.) and inferential or implicit headings (An article about electricity had inferential or implicit headings. These headings required the reader to make an inference or use background knowledge and text clues to figure it out. One head was Blow Wind, Blow and was about wind power being used for electricity.) We will continue to examine expository text and begin some poetry this week.
Writing-We researched information about healthy choices regarding food, exercise, drugs (over the counter and illegal drugs), alcohol, and smoking in our health book. We used some of the information to create Healthy Choice Plate Posters for a PE contest. We also wrote for the essay contest for Red Ribbon Week. We learned about outlining a bit to help organize our expository writing with a central idea then supporting statements with examples and a strong conclusion. We will be revising, editing, and publishing our expository writing this week.
Spelling-Plurals have been our focus. We learned a letter s is added to many words to change them from singular to plural. Words ending in s, ch, tch, z, sh, x, need an es added to make them plural. Some words are irregular and change completely like foot-feet, child-children. If the word ends with a consonant then a y, the y is changed to an i and es is added. That will be on our list this week.
Vocabulary-This week’s vocabulary is on figurative language. It includes simile, metaphor, imagery, sensory words, personification, alliteration, onomatopoeia, idiom, and hyperbole. These words and definitions will be in their agendas on Monday and are already on quizlet.com to practice.
Social Studies-We will work hard to finish our projects by Friday. Many are getting close and some have a lot to still work on. When our region projects are complete, we will begin studying the Native people in Texas.
Dates to Remember-
Monday, October 27-Reading logs due, tutorials from 2:45-3:45- wear tie dye
Tuesday, October 28-Pen Pals from 9:15-10:30, tutorials from 2:45-3:45, wear sunglasses
Wednesday, October 29-Early Release Day at 12:45, Fire Safety Assembly, Lunch from 10:45-11:15, Kona Ice after school, Summary and Response Due- wear anything and everything RED
Thursday, October 30-Writing Club from 2:45-3:45 in library, Picture Day during the day- wear your school picture clothes
Friday, October 31- Summary and Response Due, Spelling Test, Vocabulary Test - wear crazy socks
Have a wonderful weekend! If you have any questions or concerns, let me know.
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Pam Bartholomew
We have a busy week ahead!
This is Red Ribbon Week. The theme is: Be Yourself * Be Healthy * Be Happy * Be DRUG FREE
Monday – “Say Peace Out to Drugs” - wear tie dye
The Cedar Ridge Football Players will sign autographs at lunch – Bring a pen or pencil to lunch.
Tuesday – “Too Cool to do Drugs” – wear sunglasses
The Cedar Ridge Cheerleaders will hand out goodies at each entrance.
Wednesday – “Say Yes to a Healthy Heart and Body” – wear anything and everything RED
The Round Rock Fire Department will present assemblies: K-2
at 8:15 a.m. & 3-5 at 9:00 a.m.
Thursday – “I Picture Myself Without Drugs” – wear your school picture clothes
The Cedar Ridge Cheerleaders will hand out goodies at each entrance.
Friday – “Sock It To Drugs” – wear crazy socks
The Cedar Ridge Football Players will hand out goodies at each entrance.
Wednesday is an Early Release day. Students will be released at 12:45 p.m. We will also have a fire safety assembly during the day.
Kona Ice will be in front of school right after dismissal on Wednesday.
______________________________________________________________
Our next PTA Family Fun Night will be from 5-8 at Austin’s Pizza on Monday night, November 3rd.
Pen Pals will be coming on Tuesday, October 28! We are so excited to see them and will be interviewing them as well as exploring some watercolors, crayons, and play dough. We will create masterpieces together while we share time talking and enjoying each other’s company. We will also share our writing-personal narratives and Reflections writing. You are welcome to come and join us from about 9:15-10:30 in the library.
Reading-We began reading and taking notes on book club books for literacy circles. We are using post-it notes to take notes of our thinking, questions, comments, and/or tricky words. Then we meet with others reading the same book and discuss. These books are being read independently in class, however, if the children aren’t able to complete their assignment for that day, they can read this book for homework and it can count on the at home reading log. They can also use this book for their summary and response homework on Wednesdays and Fridays. We are also continuing our study of expository text and compared stated or explicit headings (An article about Mayans had a stated heading. The section was called Clothes and the section was about the clothing of the ancient and modern Mayan people.) and inferential or implicit headings (An article about electricity had inferential or implicit headings. These headings required the reader to make an inference or use background knowledge and text clues to figure it out. One head was Blow Wind, Blow and was about wind power being used for electricity.) We will continue to examine expository text and begin some poetry this week.
Writing-We researched information about healthy choices regarding food, exercise, drugs (over the counter and illegal drugs), alcohol, and smoking in our health book. We used some of the information to create Healthy Choice Plate Posters for a PE contest. We also wrote for the essay contest for Red Ribbon Week. We learned about outlining a bit to help organize our expository writing with a central idea then supporting statements with examples and a strong conclusion. We will be revising, editing, and publishing our expository writing this week.
Spelling-Plurals have been our focus. We learned a letter s is added to many words to change them from singular to plural. Words ending in s, ch, tch, z, sh, x, need an es added to make them plural. Some words are irregular and change completely like foot-feet, child-children. If the word ends with a consonant then a y, the y is changed to an i and es is added. That will be on our list this week.
Vocabulary-This week’s vocabulary is on figurative language. It includes simile, metaphor, imagery, sensory words, personification, alliteration, onomatopoeia, idiom, and hyperbole. These words and definitions will be in their agendas on Monday and are already on quizlet.com to practice.
Social Studies-We will work hard to finish our projects by Friday. Many are getting close and some have a lot to still work on. When our region projects are complete, we will begin studying the Native people in Texas.
Dates to Remember-
Monday, October 27-Reading logs due, tutorials from 2:45-3:45- wear tie dye
Tuesday, October 28-Pen Pals from 9:15-10:30, tutorials from 2:45-3:45, wear sunglasses
Wednesday, October 29-Early Release Day at 12:45, Fire Safety Assembly, Lunch from 10:45-11:15, Kona Ice after school, Summary and Response Due- wear anything and everything RED
Thursday, October 30-Writing Club from 2:45-3:45 in library, Picture Day during the day- wear your school picture clothes
Friday, October 31- Summary and Response Due, Spelling Test, Vocabulary Test - wear crazy socks
Have a wonderful weekend! If you have any questions or concerns, let me know.
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Pam Bartholomew
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Newsletter
Hi,
It was nice to see so many of you at conferences and to get to talk about your child and his/her progress. If you were unable to attend a conference and would still like to schedule one, please email and let us know. Thank you so much!
Dad’s Day
All dads are invited to come to school with their student(s) on October 24 from 7:30 to 9:00am. Go to class with your child and then report to the cafeteria for juice, coffee, and donuts at 8:15. Dads will get a firsthand experience of life in the classroom. Make plans to attend! You may want to consider signing up to be a part of our Watch D.O.G.S. program.
TAG Information Night
Save this date if you’re interested in the gifted and talented program at Forest Creek Elementary! The TAG parent information night for testing is going to take place on November 11, 2014 in the library. The meeting will be held from 6:30 to 7:15pm.
OMS Toy Drive for Dell Children’s Hospital
The FCE Service Club is still accepting donations for NEW toys to bring awareness of OMS. We have 74 toys so far and our goal is 150. We will collect toys until Nov. 14.
FCE Service Club
Our Service Club will meet on Thursday, October 23 from 2:45-3:45. All 4th and 5th graders are welcome to attend. We will count the new toy donations and begin writing notes and drawing pictures for children in an orphanage in Honduras. We will also talk about upcoming service projects. Bring some ideas.
Tutorials
Tutorials will be offered on Monday and Tuesday afternoons from 2:45-3:45. All students in Fry and Bartholomew’s classes are welcome to come to tutorials. Some come and work on homework and others work in small groups on specific assignments. Ms. Fry also does tutorials in the cafeteria on Tuesday mornings from 7:15-7:30.
Grading Period Ends on Friday
All missing or late assignments need to be completed and turned in by Friday. Any papers or tests that had correct and return for 70%, need to be turned in by Friday. Report cards will be sent home on November 6.
Pen Pals
Our pen pals are scheduled to come to FCE on Oct. 28 at 9:15. We missed seeing them this week and look forward to seeing them again. All are welcome to come and meet these wonderful friends.
Reflections Poems and Stories-Forms due ASAP
Your child brought home a poem or story with the theme-The World Would be a Better Place if… Stapled to their writing is a form to fill out to participate in the PTA Reflections Program. Please fill out the form with your child and return as soon as possible. It would be wonderful for everyone to participate in Reflections.
Our Week
In reading-we read non-fiction articles and determined the structure of the text. An article about the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone National Park was organized in a compare and contrast format and the students compared and contrasted the opinions and actions of the ranchers and the wolf activists. Another article called “Hanging by a Thread” was organized in a problem/solution and was about the introduction of a non-native plant in Hawaii and the effects of that. We learned about making inferences (background knowledge + text clues=inference) by reading a book called Encounter, which is about Christopher Columbus but from a native boy’s point of view. We will continue working with non-fiction text and will begin literature circles or book clubs this week.
In writing-we published our poems and/or stories for Reflections and wrote more expository entries. We also worked on mentor sentences (to practice grammar, spelling, capitalization and punctuation. We took some writing time to work on our expository essays for social studies. We worked on plurals in spelling (adding es) and will continue with irregular plurals this week (foot, feet, etc…)
In social studies, we worked on our expository essays about our regions and began planning our projects with our groups.
Dates to Remember:
Monday, October 20-Reading Log due, Tutorials afterschool 2:45-3:45
Tuesday, October 21-Tutorials afterschool 2:45-3:45
Wednesday, October 22-Reading Response and Summary due
Thursday, October 23-Service Club Meeting-2:45-3:45
Friday, October 24-Dad’s Day from 7:30-9:00-Reflections forms due, Reading Response and Summary due, Grading Period Ends
Red Ribbon Week-October 27-31
Early Release Day-Wednesday, October 29 at 12:45
Have a great rest of the weekend and let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Pam Bartholomew
It was nice to see so many of you at conferences and to get to talk about your child and his/her progress. If you were unable to attend a conference and would still like to schedule one, please email and let us know. Thank you so much!
Dad’s Day
All dads are invited to come to school with their student(s) on October 24 from 7:30 to 9:00am. Go to class with your child and then report to the cafeteria for juice, coffee, and donuts at 8:15. Dads will get a firsthand experience of life in the classroom. Make plans to attend! You may want to consider signing up to be a part of our Watch D.O.G.S. program.
TAG Information Night
Save this date if you’re interested in the gifted and talented program at Forest Creek Elementary! The TAG parent information night for testing is going to take place on November 11, 2014 in the library. The meeting will be held from 6:30 to 7:15pm.
OMS Toy Drive for Dell Children’s Hospital
The FCE Service Club is still accepting donations for NEW toys to bring awareness of OMS. We have 74 toys so far and our goal is 150. We will collect toys until Nov. 14.
FCE Service Club
Our Service Club will meet on Thursday, October 23 from 2:45-3:45. All 4th and 5th graders are welcome to attend. We will count the new toy donations and begin writing notes and drawing pictures for children in an orphanage in Honduras. We will also talk about upcoming service projects. Bring some ideas.
Tutorials
Tutorials will be offered on Monday and Tuesday afternoons from 2:45-3:45. All students in Fry and Bartholomew’s classes are welcome to come to tutorials. Some come and work on homework and others work in small groups on specific assignments. Ms. Fry also does tutorials in the cafeteria on Tuesday mornings from 7:15-7:30.
Grading Period Ends on Friday
All missing or late assignments need to be completed and turned in by Friday. Any papers or tests that had correct and return for 70%, need to be turned in by Friday. Report cards will be sent home on November 6.
Pen Pals
Our pen pals are scheduled to come to FCE on Oct. 28 at 9:15. We missed seeing them this week and look forward to seeing them again. All are welcome to come and meet these wonderful friends.
Reflections Poems and Stories-Forms due ASAP
Your child brought home a poem or story with the theme-The World Would be a Better Place if… Stapled to their writing is a form to fill out to participate in the PTA Reflections Program. Please fill out the form with your child and return as soon as possible. It would be wonderful for everyone to participate in Reflections.
Our Week
In reading-we read non-fiction articles and determined the structure of the text. An article about the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone National Park was organized in a compare and contrast format and the students compared and contrasted the opinions and actions of the ranchers and the wolf activists. Another article called “Hanging by a Thread” was organized in a problem/solution and was about the introduction of a non-native plant in Hawaii and the effects of that. We learned about making inferences (background knowledge + text clues=inference) by reading a book called Encounter, which is about Christopher Columbus but from a native boy’s point of view. We will continue working with non-fiction text and will begin literature circles or book clubs this week.
In writing-we published our poems and/or stories for Reflections and wrote more expository entries. We also worked on mentor sentences (to practice grammar, spelling, capitalization and punctuation. We took some writing time to work on our expository essays for social studies. We worked on plurals in spelling (adding es) and will continue with irregular plurals this week (foot, feet, etc…)
In social studies, we worked on our expository essays about our regions and began planning our projects with our groups.
Dates to Remember:
Monday, October 20-Reading Log due, Tutorials afterschool 2:45-3:45
Tuesday, October 21-Tutorials afterschool 2:45-3:45
Wednesday, October 22-Reading Response and Summary due
Thursday, October 23-Service Club Meeting-2:45-3:45
Friday, October 24-Dad’s Day from 7:30-9:00-Reflections forms due, Reading Response and Summary due, Grading Period Ends
Red Ribbon Week-October 27-31
Early Release Day-Wednesday, October 29 at 12:45
Have a great rest of the weekend and let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Pam Bartholomew
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Newsletter-No school for students on Monday, October 13
Hi, October 12, 2014
Mad Science did an assembly for us on Friday afternoon and it was so much fun. The presenter used lots of volunteers performed demonstrations about the effects and power of air. It was very comical and educational. Ask your child about it.
Don’t forget that the students don’t have school on Monday, October 13. The teachers have staff development then we will begin our conferences on Monday afternoon. We look forward to seeing you this week. The conference is student led, so be sure to bring your child with you and we will all talk about goals and plans to reach those goals.
Writing Club will meet on Thursday, October 16. All 2nd-5th graders are welcome and we meet in the library from 2:45-3:45. If students need to make up homework or assignments, they are welcome to use this time in the library to do so.
Tutorials will be on Tuesday from 2:45-3:45.
Service Club continues to collect new toys for Dell Children’s Hospital. We have collected 55 toys so far and our goal is 150 toys by November 14. This toy drive is bringing awareness to OMS, which is a disease in which the child’s immune system tries to fight a tumor and ends up attacking the brain. Thank you so much for your donations.
In social studies, we continued to research our region and writing an expository essay to explain and teach about the region. We are working with our Texas group to help each other with continued research and writing about each region. We are in the process of peer editing and conferencing about the essays, then will type the essays and work on planning our projects this week.
In writing, we are collecting entries for expository writing. We walked around the school and in the gardens and made observations. Then pushed our thinking and wrote about what was interesting or important about our observations to try to lead us to big ideas. We also thought about special people and places and reasons and examples of their importance to us. Expository writing will include a central idea and supporting details and its purpose is to explain or teach information. When we think of expository, we think of explain and examples. Personal Narratives tell a small moment story.
In reading, we continued reading lots of expository or informational books. We looked for text features and their purposes and text structures. Text features include table of contents, index, glossary, photos, charts, captions, and subheading or subtitles. Text structures refer to the different structures of the text or how the information is organized. These include description, compare/contrast, problem/solution, question/answer, and sequential. We will also be making inferences (background knowledge +information from text=inference).
Vocabulary words are posted on Quizlet. These words are nonfiction text features. The children will have their notecards with the words and definitions written on them and the vocabulary words and definitions are also stapled to their agenda. Email me if your child is not able to access quizlet.com. Thank you for studying vocabulary words at home.
In spelling, we worked on words with changing words from singular to plural by adding an s. This week, we will look at plurals and ways that words change by adding es. Words that end in ch, sh, ss, x, and z become plural by adding an es. 12 of the words will be singular and plural (add es) and the other three words are from the student’s writing or words to work on from previous spelling tests. Thank you for studying spelling words with your child at home.
Nichole Allison, our student teacher, has been doing more of the planning and instruction for our class and is doing a wonderful job. We are so lucky to have her with us.
Dates to remember:
Monday, Oct. 13-no school for students, conferences begin
Tuesday, Oct. 14- Pen Pal Visit at 9:20. All are welcome to attend and meet our pen pals, Reading log due, Tutorials after school 2:45-3:45, Computer Lab open 2:45-3:45
Wednesday, Oct. 15-Summary and Response due, conferences continue
Thursday, Oct. 16-Writing Club after school 2:45-3:45 in library, Computer lab open 2:45-3:45
Friday, Oct. 17-Summary and Response Due, Spelling Test, Vocabulary test
Saturday, Oct. 18-Conferences continue-come to the back car rider door and call 512-464-5388
Have a great rest of the weekend! Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Pam Bartholomew
Mad Science did an assembly for us on Friday afternoon and it was so much fun. The presenter used lots of volunteers performed demonstrations about the effects and power of air. It was very comical and educational. Ask your child about it.
Don’t forget that the students don’t have school on Monday, October 13. The teachers have staff development then we will begin our conferences on Monday afternoon. We look forward to seeing you this week. The conference is student led, so be sure to bring your child with you and we will all talk about goals and plans to reach those goals.
Writing Club will meet on Thursday, October 16. All 2nd-5th graders are welcome and we meet in the library from 2:45-3:45. If students need to make up homework or assignments, they are welcome to use this time in the library to do so.
Tutorials will be on Tuesday from 2:45-3:45.
Service Club continues to collect new toys for Dell Children’s Hospital. We have collected 55 toys so far and our goal is 150 toys by November 14. This toy drive is bringing awareness to OMS, which is a disease in which the child’s immune system tries to fight a tumor and ends up attacking the brain. Thank you so much for your donations.
In social studies, we continued to research our region and writing an expository essay to explain and teach about the region. We are working with our Texas group to help each other with continued research and writing about each region. We are in the process of peer editing and conferencing about the essays, then will type the essays and work on planning our projects this week.
In writing, we are collecting entries for expository writing. We walked around the school and in the gardens and made observations. Then pushed our thinking and wrote about what was interesting or important about our observations to try to lead us to big ideas. We also thought about special people and places and reasons and examples of their importance to us. Expository writing will include a central idea and supporting details and its purpose is to explain or teach information. When we think of expository, we think of explain and examples. Personal Narratives tell a small moment story.
In reading, we continued reading lots of expository or informational books. We looked for text features and their purposes and text structures. Text features include table of contents, index, glossary, photos, charts, captions, and subheading or subtitles. Text structures refer to the different structures of the text or how the information is organized. These include description, compare/contrast, problem/solution, question/answer, and sequential. We will also be making inferences (background knowledge +information from text=inference).
Vocabulary words are posted on Quizlet. These words are nonfiction text features. The children will have their notecards with the words and definitions written on them and the vocabulary words and definitions are also stapled to their agenda. Email me if your child is not able to access quizlet.com. Thank you for studying vocabulary words at home.
In spelling, we worked on words with changing words from singular to plural by adding an s. This week, we will look at plurals and ways that words change by adding es. Words that end in ch, sh, ss, x, and z become plural by adding an es. 12 of the words will be singular and plural (add es) and the other three words are from the student’s writing or words to work on from previous spelling tests. Thank you for studying spelling words with your child at home.
Nichole Allison, our student teacher, has been doing more of the planning and instruction for our class and is doing a wonderful job. We are so lucky to have her with us.
Dates to remember:
Monday, Oct. 13-no school for students, conferences begin
Tuesday, Oct. 14- Pen Pal Visit at 9:20. All are welcome to attend and meet our pen pals, Reading log due, Tutorials after school 2:45-3:45, Computer Lab open 2:45-3:45
Wednesday, Oct. 15-Summary and Response due, conferences continue
Thursday, Oct. 16-Writing Club after school 2:45-3:45 in library, Computer lab open 2:45-3:45
Friday, Oct. 17-Summary and Response Due, Spelling Test, Vocabulary test
Saturday, Oct. 18-Conferences continue-come to the back car rider door and call 512-464-5388
Have a great rest of the weekend! Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Pam Bartholomew
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